Iodine infrared laser

CW laser emission, attributed to electronic transitions in the iodine atom, has been obtained at 8 wavelengths between 3.0 and 9.0 μ. The strongest CW lines are at 3.429 and 4.852 μ. One of the weaker CW lines, 5.497 μ, becomes relatively strong when the laser is operated in a pulsed mode. The laser self-pulses under certain operating conditions. The gain on the strong lines is high, and oscillation can be obtained with very little optical feedback. A maximum power output of 325 mW from all the lines has been obtained to date. The power is shifted from line to line by placing a prism or a selective absorber within the cavity.